Aesthetics
Due to the aesthetics used in Ultimate, Shulk's model features a more subdued color scheme. In addition to losing most of the glossy sheen from his clothes and hair, Shulk's clothing now features simple detailing, his face is more defined, and his hair is somewhat less tousled.- Shulk's alternate costumes now alter his hair color to match each party member they represent.
- Shulk's muscles are more prominently defined in his shirtless alternate costume.
- Shulk's idle stance has been slightly altered, as his chest now visibly moves as he breathes.
- The Monado's blue glow during certain moves (such as the first hits of up smash and up aerial) has been made brighter and more noticeable.
- Shulk's second jump freefall animation has been altered, with his limbs no longer being straightened out. This brings it closer to how Shulk jumps in Xenoblade Chronicles.
- During Shulk's hip-posing victory pose, the Monado now glows with a sword trail when swung, and Shulk gives a wide grin at the end.
- Shulk now grins when applauding the winner after a match.
The Monado's beam blade no longer becomes misaligned on stages with a 2D effect, like Flat Zone X.- Shulk's armorless costume no longer causes his neck to extend during certain animations, although it still causes the Monado Arts' symbols to flash above Shulk's neck during hitstun.
Attributes
Like all characters, Shulk's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).
Shulk is lighter (102 → 97), bringing him down from a semi-heavyweight to a middleweight, tied with Luigi and Byleth. This worsens his endurance.- Shulk walks faster (1.1 → 1.155).
- Shulk runs faster (1.52 → 1.672).
- His initial dash is much faster (1.5 → 1.87).
- Shulk's air speed is faster (1.06 → 1.113).
- Shulk falls faster (1.5 → 1.58).
- His fast falling speed is faster (2.4 → 2.528), leaving him less susceptible to juggling.
- Shulk's gravity is higher (0.085 → 0.098). This improves his vertical mobility and leaves him less vulnerable to juggles, but worsens his horizontal endurance.
- Shulk's jump height is lower (34.8 → 33.5), slightly hindering his vertical recovery, but further agilizing his aerial game.
- Shulk's traction has been increased (0.044 → 0.094), improving his ability to punish out of shield.
- Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 31 → 30).
- Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 4-15).
- Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 30 → 35).
- Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 26).
- Spot dodge grants less intangibility (frames 3-18 → 3-17).
- Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).
- Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 50).
Ground attacks
- Neutral attack:
- The first hit has an altered animation where Shulk doesn't lunge forward as far decreasing its range, and the second hit has been changed to a full roundhouse kick.
- The first and second hits have altered angles (70°/60°/88° → 361°/180° (hit 1), 66°/70°/80° → 361° (hit 2)) to keep opponents on the ground, akin to other neutral attacks. They also no longer use set knockback, but deal less knockback until very high percents (40 set/100 scaling → 35/25 base/10 scaling (hit 1), 52 set/100 scaling → 40/35 base/10 scaling (hit 2)), and have gained hitstun modifiers (0 → 2 (hit 1), 5 (hit 2)). This allows them to connect much more reliably and jab lock.
- The first hit transitions faster into the second hit (frame 12 → 11).
- The third hit has less startup (frame 12 → 6). In combination with the aforementioned changes, this allows it to connect much better from the second hit, no longer requiring specific timing against floaty or highly-damaged opponents.
- However, its total duration remains the same, increasing its ending lag.
- The third hit is placed farther horizontally (Z offset: 12.8u-7.8u → 14u-10u (clean), 12.8u → 14u (late)) and higher (Y offset: 9u → 10u), with the late hit also stretching more vertically (Y offset: 15u-12u → 16.5u-12u), increasing its range.
- All hits except the late third hit deal less damage (3.5% → 2% (hit 1), 3.5% → 1.5% (hit 2), 5.3% → 5% (hit 3, clean)). This greatly reduces the move's total damage (12.3% → 8.5%), no longer being the most damaging non-infinite neutral attack in the game.
- The first and second hits have a shorter hitbox duration (frames 5-6 (hit 1), 5-7 (hit 2) → frame 5).
- The first and third hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.4× (hit 1), 2× (hit 3)), making the former easier to SDI and the latter easier to DI.
- The first hit uses four hitboxes instead of three, which are smaller (3u/2.5u/3.5u → 1.8u/1.8u/2u/2u). In combination with its altered animation, this noticeably reduces its range.
- Consecutive uses of the first hit are slower (12 frames → 15).
- The second hit's middle hitbox is larger (3u → 3.2u), but the farthest hitbox is smaller (4u → 3.4u), reducing its range overall.
- Up tilt:
- Up tilt deals more damage (8.5%/7.5% → 10%/9%), with knockback scaling compensated (90/85 → 80/75).
- The move's ending animation has been altered, with Shulk crouching lower, allowing him to duck under some attacks like certain rising aerials.
- Dash attack:
- Dash attack has less startup (frame 15 → 12) and much less ending lag (FAF 53 → 41).
- It has a sweetspot near the base of the Monado, much like Shulk's other moves that use it, which deals more damage (11.5% → 12.5%) and is larger (3.2u → 3.7u).
- It launches at a higher angle (60° → 65°), improving its juggling ability.
- Due to the changes to jostling, the move can no longer miss opponents at point-blank range.
- It does not propel Shulk as far forward, reducing its range.
- The sourspot deals less damage (11.5% → 11%) and is marginally smaller (3.2u → 3.1u).
- It has less knockback scaling (80 → 68), hindering its KO potential despite its higher launch angle and the sweetspot's higher damage.
- Up smash:
- The first hit launches at angles more towards Shulk (92°/105° → 92°/95°/112°) and is weight-independent, with the ground-only hitboxes also having lower set knockback (110 → 92). This allows it to connect more reliably into the second hit.
Aerial attacks
- All aerials have less landing lag (10 frames → 6 (neutral), 16 → 10 (forward), 19 → 11 (back), 15 → 9 (up), 23 → 14 (down)).
- All aerials auto-cancel earlier (frame 80 → 54 (neutral), 57 → 42 (forward), 79 → 43 (back), 79 → 53 (up), 78 → 52 (down)). This allows back aerial to auto-cancel in a full hop, and all aerials except forward aerial to auto-cancel before their interruptibility frames.
- Additionally, all aerials have gained initial auto-cancel windows (frames 1-2 (neutral, back, down), 1-4 (forward), 1-3 (up)).
- Neutral aerial:
- Neutral aerial has significantly less ending lag (FAF 71 → 60), making it safer to use offstage.
- The animation executes faster with no change in hitbox duration. This allows the move to hit more effectively around Shulk and cover a full 360 degrees, no longer possessing a blindspot directly behind him, but makes it less effective for keeping out opponents in front of him.
- The sweetspot and sourspot's placements has been swapped, with the former being located on the Monado's base instead of the beam blade, much like Shulk's other moves. This increases the move's damage output at close range, but reduces it from a distance.
- Forward aerial:
- Forward aerial can no longer send opponents behind Shulk. This improves its consistency for edgeguarding, but removes some of its combos and situational stage spiking ability.
- Back aerial:
- Back aerial has more startup (frame 18 → 19). Coupled with the changes to the Speed Monado Art, this makes short hop back aerials more timing-specific in the Speed Art, as Shulk has to perform the back aerial immediately out of a short hop.
- The hitbox is set to a static position behind Shulk instead of following the Monado, and is smaller (5.5u → 3.6u (clean), 4u → 2.6u (late)). This reduces its horizontal range, and removes its ability to hit in front of Shulk.
- The hitbox has been adjusted to be parallel to the ground instead of slanted upward, making it less likely to overshoot grounded opponents, but easier to avoid by jumping.
- Up aerial:
- Up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 55).
- Both hits have a longer duration (frames 14-15 → 14-16 (hit 1), 24-25 → 24-26 (hit 2)).
- The first hit has received an additional hitbox on the Monado, with the previously existing two being larger (6.2u/6u → 6.5u/6.3u), and they launch at angles more towards Shulk (100°/96° → 102°/111°/104°) with lower set knockback (80/60 → 60/60/40). This allows it to connect more reliably into the second hit.
- The second hit's sourspot stretches a slightly shorter distance vertically (Y offset: 40u-15u → 39u-15u), reducing its vertical range despite the hitbox being larger (3.8u → 4u).
- Down aerial:
- Both hits have a longer duration (frames 14-15 → 14-16 (hit 1), 23-24 → 23-25 (hit 2)).
- The first hit's hitboxes are larger (5u → 5.3u), and the aerial-only hitbox launches at a lower angle (172° → 215°) with lower set knockback (20 → 15). This increases its range and allows it to connect more reliably into the second hit.
- The second hit's meteor hitbox and sweetspot have more base knockback, especially the latter (10 → 15/50), improving the move's KO potential.
- The second hit's sourspot is larger (3.5u → 3.7u).
Throws and other attacks
- Grabs:
- All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 30 → 37 (standing), 37 → 45 (dash), 35 → 40 (pivot)).
- They have reduced horizontal range (Z2 offset: 9.5u → 9u (standing), 11.5u → 10.7u (dash), -16u → -15.3u (pivot)).
- Dash and pivot grab have more startup (frame 9 → 10 (dash), 10 → 11 (pivot)).
- Pummel:
- Pummel deals more hitlag (8 frames → 14), but has less startup (frame 5 → 1) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 27 → 7), noticeably shortening its duration. This makes it much more reliable for racking up damage.
- It deals much less damage (3% → 1.3%).
- Forward throw:
- The throw portion deals less damage (8% → 5%; 11% total → 8%), with knockback scaling not fully compensated (70 → 95), slightly hindering its KO potential.
- Back throw:
- The throw portion deals less damage (9% → 6%; 12% total → 9%), with knockback scaling not fully compensated (63 → 83), slightly hindering its KO potential.
- Up throw:
- Due to the new knockback speed up effect decreasing hitstun for higher knockback values, up throw has lost its KO setups into up aerial at high percents with the Jump Art active.
- Down throw:
- Down throw launches at a higher angle (50° → 60°). Coupled with the Buster Art's lower knockback multiplier, down throw is now effective for combos till mid-high percents with Buster active.
- The throw portion deals less damage (4% → 2.5%; 7% total → 5.5%) and knockback (75 base/115 scaling → 85/105), making it significantly weaker overall. Notably, it is no longer the strongest down throw in the game by a large margin with the Smash Art active.
- Due to the new knockback speed up effect, it has lost its true combos into forward aerial at low to mid percents with the Speed Art active.
- It has a snappier animation, with Shulk physically thrusting the Monado into the ground with both hands and performing a short jump before the main hit.
- Edge attack:
- Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).
Special moves
- Monado Arts:
- Monado Arts possess a new feature, where all Arts appear in a wheel around Shulk if the special move button is held, then can be selected by tilting the control stick in the appropriate direction and releasing the button. The Arts are mapped to the following directions: up for Smash, upper left for Jump, lower left for Speed, upper right for Buster, and lower right for Shield. The previous method of selecting Monado Arts can still be used by tapping the button.
- This new method allows Shulk to select and activate Monado Arts significantly faster, as well as switch them without needing to cancel the current one. This opens up more flexibility in using the different Monado Arts, making them an even more important aspect of Shulk's moveset. Additionally, if the original method to select Arts has been initiated, it can be canceled by activating the wheel without tilting the control stick in any direction, preventing accidental activations of Arts.
- Due to Monado Arts being usable out of hitstun, this faster method allows Shulk to escape combos and disadvantage much more effectively by using the intangibility from activating the Arts, then he can select either the Shield Art to survive potential KOs or the Buster/Smash Art to punish the opponent.
- When calculating knockback, Monado Arts no longer take their damage multiplier into account for the opponent's final percentage. This overall benefits them, allowing Speed to fully preserve knockback instead of marginally reducing it, and further improving Smash's KO potential, while Shield and Buster have lower knockback multipliers that render this effect negligible.
- Arts that are on cooldown have a gradually regenerating bar under them to indicate how much time is left until they can be used again. Likewise, a gradually depleting bar appears below the active Art in Shulk's damage meter to indicate how much is left until it deactivates.
- Monado Arts activate significantly faster when selected individually.
- Monado Art landing lag canceling can still be performed, though it has a different window due to the faster activation time. Additionally, its usage to reduce landing lag is negligible due to the universal reduction to landing lag.
- The addition of selecting Arts through the Art wheel allows Shulk access to MALLC at any time, without having to time landings with his jumps. It also grants access to the dial storage technique.
- The kanji graphics are stylized and shown in solid colored, thick-outlined text. Upon activation, the kanji flashes with a cartoon-styled burst.
- Highlighted Arts display their name in addition to the kanji, like in Shulk's damage meter.
- Switching or deactivating Arts immediately resets Shulk's movement attributes. For example, he no longer has increased run speed if he is running when the Speed Art expires.
- This removes some advanced techniques such as Monado Art run cancel, Monado Art buffered deactivation, and MonaDACUS.
- Monado Arts have significantly amplified strengths and weaknesses, alongside much shorter durations and longer cooldowns, making the move similar to one of Shulk's previous custom moves, Hyper Monado Arts.
- Jump Art:
- It grants higher air speed (1.5× → 1.7×), falling speed (1.22× → 1.4×), and gravity (1.3× → 1.4×), making it far more effective for aerial movement.
- It lasts significantly shorter (16s → 6s) and has a longer cooldown (10s → 18s).
- It increases damage taken even more (1.22× → 1.3×).
- Speed Art:
- It grants Shulk higher initial dash and run speeds (1.7× → 2×), and a higher air speed (1.3× → 1.4×). Combined with the reduced landing lag of Shulk's aerials, Speed is a more effective aerial rushdown and spacing tool.
- Shulk's gravity is now increased by 1.2x. This increases Shulk's overall mobility even further, but also worsens his endurance due to the gravity penalty. Furthermore, it shortens the duration of his midair jump, weakening his recovery.
- It lasts significantly shorter (16s → 8s) and has a longer cooldown (10s → 16s).
- It lowers damage dealt even more (0.8× → 0.7×).
- The reduced jump height makes it even worse for recovering vertically.
- Shield Art:
- It further reduces damage taken (0.67× → 0.5×) and knockback taken (0.78× → 0.6×). This allows Shulk to survive almost any KO move even at high percents, and punish opponents more effectively after getting hit at low percents.
- Due to the new selection method for Monado Arts, it can be activated inbetween most multi-hit moves and combos. This allows Shulk to break out of a variety of situations, including potential game-ending strings.[1]
- It has increased shield health and shield regeneration rates (1.5× → 2×).
- It lasts significantly shorter (16s → 6s) and has a longer cooldown (10s → 18s).
- It lowers damage dealt even more (0.7× → 0.5×), and reduces knockback dealt by 0.8×, considerably hindering Shulk's KO potential while active.
- On top of the Art's reduced duration, its meter depletes faster if Shulk takes damage. This removes its ability to stall matches for a noticeable period of time.
- Buster Art:
- It lowers knockback dealt even more (0.68× → 0.65×), allowing combos for longer.
- With the usage of dial storage, it grants Shulk KO setups, such as a Buster neutral aerial into Smash Air Slash.
- It lasts significantly shorter (16s → 10s) and has a longer cooldown (10s → 14s). However, it is the longest-lasting and quickest-charging Monado Art.
- It increases damage taken even more (1.13× → 1.3×).
- Opponents hit by Shulk with Buster active glow briefly with a purple tint.
- Smash Art:
- It further boosts knockback dealt (1.18× → 1.25×), improving Shulk's KO potential even more.
- It lasts significantly shorter (16s → 8s) and has a longer cooldown (10s → 16s).
- It lowers damage dealt even more (0.5× → 0.3×).
- It further increases knockback taken (1.07× → 1.2×), giving Shulk the worst endurance in the game while Smash is active.
- Opponents hit by Shulk with Smash active glow briefly with a red tint.
- Back Slash:
- Back Slash's distance can be adjusted slightly by tilting the control stick after it is initiated.
- It can grab ledges from frame 49 onward, giving it situational use offstage.
- Due to characters no longer turning around when hit from behind with high enough knockback, the back-hitting sweetspot is easier to land.
- The front-facing hitboxes have less knockback scaling (100 → 80).
- Back-hitting Back Slash causes a yellow burst effect, similar to the graphic shown when a party member successfully lands an Art's bonus effect in Xenoblade Chronicles (in this case, hitting the back of an enemy).
- Air Slash:
- The first swing grabs ledges earlier (frame 41 → 21 (front), 31 (back)), improving its safety for recovering.
- The second swing has less startup (frame 15 → 9), allowing it to connect more reliably from the first swing.
- The first swing can no longer grab ledges before the hitboxes come out, preventing Shulk from grabbing them out of a rising jump.
- Vision:
- Both counterattacks have noticeably larger hitboxes, especially their sweetspots (8.5u/5.5u → 12u/7u (normal), 11u/7u (forward)).
- They do not stretch as much horizontally (Z offset: 24u~5u/31u~2u → 28u~20.5u/33u~9.5u (normal), -29u~-12u/-37u~-8u → -24.5u~-15u/-28.5u~-3u (forward)), greatly improving the normal counterattack's range in front of Shulk, but reducing both variants' horizontal range behind him.
- The normal counterattack has a longer hitbox duration, with the aerial version having less startup (frame 45-46 → 45-47 (grounded), 40-42 (aerial)), and both versions have less ending lag (FAF 97 → 88 (grounded), 83 (aerial)).
- Aerial counterattack intangibility now starts earlier and has a longer duration (frames 9-40 → 1-40).
- The normal counterattack's sourspot deals more minimum damage (7% → 9%).
- The counterattacks are no longer unblockable.
- Both counterattacks have less knockback scaling (84 → 80 (normal), 94 → 90 (forward)), slightly hindering their KO ability. However, the forward-held version is still the strongest counterattack in the game with the Smash Art active.
- The slowdown from the forward-held version now lasts slightly longer, leaking into the period after the opponent is launched, which due to a glitch slightly reduces the move's launch distance.
- Vision's backdrop is significantly brighter.
- Vision Sliding has been removed.
- Chain Attack:
- Chain Attack deals more damage (40% → 46% (front opponent), 30% → 36% (other opponents)).
- Mecha-Fiora appears during Chain Attack, attacking with Shulk in addition to Riki and Dunban. Camera angles have been adjusted to accommodate for her, and Shulk has gained an additional voice clip that calls out her name. Additionally, Riki and Dunban have more detailed models.